


Many Doors

by DragonsInkwell (Lafrenze)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Crossover, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Palace, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Yokai, Alternate Universe- Mafia, F/M, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23753389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafrenze/pseuds/DragonsInkwell
Summary: A fun sampling of some alternate universe takes on the beloved Persona 5, inspired by and so I can have some fun taking part in the P5 AU Week.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Reader, Kitagawa Yusuke/Reader, Persona 5 Protagonist/Reader, Sakamoto Ryuji/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	1. Day 1 - Role Reversal!AU (Akechi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, posted a little late today because I wasn’t even sure I could get it done, honestly, but it was a lot of fun let me tell you. I’ve wanted to tinker with some role reversal stuff before and this event (thank you, @p5auweek) is a really good reason to start.
> 
> An AU where Akechi takes Ren’s place, granted a stable place in life to heal and Ren takes Akechi’s, lost and without any support and his cleverness devolves into cruelty. True fun that I’d like to dabble in more some day. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy! Although today is merely Akechi getting some cute interaction because I can, ehehe. /shrug

There is a special mood up here in Akechi's room after a meeting with the other Phantom Thieves. When everyone is here it's always so lively, conversation filling up the tiny space like helium in a balloon, laughter and chatter and jokes chasing away any of the lingering attic atmosphere. Even without any of the traditional features of a real room to gather in, the presence of the whole group warms it up, bringing a special cheer that is impossible to overlook. But even once everyone starts trickling out, the noise fades and space reopens up, there's a softness that lingers, an echo, perhaps, of the excitement that the room contained.

It's nice you think, flopping down on the couch, arms splayed out where one falls under your head as a pillow and the other drapes to the floor. Feels like home, a real home, and you wonder if Goro feels it too. Well, you know, it _is_ his home, technically, but you hope he's found some real comfort both here specifically and with you and the others. You know how hard his life has been up until this point, and despite the trouble you've all found yourselves in, all you really want is Goro to have it easy.

So lost in your own pathway of thoughts, you don't even notice anything amiss until your world goes dark and you yelp, shooting upright and doing your best not to fall off the couch. A sly laugh greets you as you pull a familiar jacket off of your head with a huff.

“Oh, is that how Sojiro's raising you, huh?” you snipe with an exaggerated pout as Goro doubles over with laughter. “What a troublesome young man!”

When he looks up at you, warm brown gaze meeting yours, crinkled with mirth, you can't help but break your façade and start to giggle yourself. While you both recover, you slip his jacket around your shoulders, nestling into it. “I merely thought you could use it to keep warm,” he says, voice still laced with laughter. “Is that so wrong of me?”

“Maybe I'll ask Boss on the way out and we'll see~” The fake look of shock Goro shoots at you makes you break out into giggles again. It's nice to play around like this, you think. “In the meantime, however, I think this is mine for good. Handing a prize over to a thief, what a foolish lad you are.”

“Oh? Are you sure?” As he speaks, Goro gets up from his spot sitting at the edge of his bed and walks over with a remarkably innocent grin, stopping right in front of you with his hands in his pockets; a signal of mischief if you've ever seen one. “Maybe I was setting up a trap to _catch_ a thief, hm? Lure her in with treasure and then keep her for myself.”

With an over-dramatic sigh, you place the back of your hand against your forehead and pretend to faint against the back of the couch. “Betrayed! And by my own leader! What a cruel fate I have been dealt! Is this the end of my career as one of the great Phantom Thieves?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/post/615884275674464256/p5-au-week-day-1), where I also take requests.


	2. Day 2 - Yokai!AU (Yusuke)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it technically an immortal/god!AU? Maybe not, but I’ve already got some fun ideas for something close enough with my yokai!AU and kitsunes were sometimes treated as messengers of Inari so it should count, right? Right, glad we’re on the same page~
> 
> Don’t forget to check out @p5auweek for more AU tomfoolery, as the event name implies~

“Are... are you sure you wouldn't want me to ask someone else to model for you? Takamaki-san has always had a good eye for fashion, o-or Niijima-san, she always has such a regal air.” Even here, buried behind the screen you can almost feel the kitsune's appraising gaze on you, and it is hard not fight off the urge to flee. You do like him, you like Yusuke a great deal in fact, but this is out of your league. You barely wear a yukata to festivals, but this, trying to get a proper kimono on is beyond your skill simply in actually putting it on, much less wearing it and being pretty enough to be painted. “Even Sakura-chan would look cute, I'm sure.”

There's a brief beat of silence, and it shakes up your nerves; even if you wish he would consider asking someone else, you don't want to hurt his feelings either.

A quiet sigh breaks the quiet and a couple sharp footsteps signal that Yusuke is coming closer, though he remains on his side, thankfully. While not nude, you're not properly dressed. “Neither of them compares to you in the beauty I seek to portray,” he states so plainly, as if it was a well-known fact that you choke a little on your own breath as he speaks. “I could not ask _any_ of the others to replace you in this, though they all contain their own special traits.” Another small pause before he continues. “Have I perhaps asked you incorrectly? I did not mean to upset you; I still forget at times how to make proper requests, though I do believe I have been improving.”

“No! Oh no, that's not it! I didn't mean to imply that! You asked really well, I just...” you say, now even more nervous about this whole ordeal. While it is true that in many respects, not only asking for favors, Yusuke still has some difficulty in many aspects of human culture, that is not at all what was throwing you off today. “I'm not actually sure how to put a kimono on properly, is all. I agreed because I wanted to help you; I thought I could figure it out but now I'm all tangled up and I feel like an idiot and like you could do way better than me, especially right now.”

And it is absolutely true. You're pretty certain, especially now, that you'd need at least one other person's help to get this thing on correctly, probably a piece of information you should have known before hand but again, you've never even considered wearing a kimono. T-shirts and pants, blouses and skirts, these things are up your alley. This train of thought gets you wondering about, even if you could get it on by some miracle, how pretty could you look beneath the maple trees that brought the conversation with Yusuke up? You can't even keep track of the skills you do or don't have, after all.

“I request that you stop this cloud of negativity, my muse.” There's a strictness in his warm voice that takes you off guard, like cold rain on a hot day, and you cannot help but listen. To show this, you grant him a soft hum of acquiescence, and for a second you almost expect him to enter your little changing area, though he does no such thing. “I did not consider that kimonos are not worn as often as they used to be, or that you might not have worn one. I forget that I have not spent much time so deeply entrenched in human company in many decades. Please, feel comfortable returning to your normal clothes; while I would still enjoy seeing you in that kimono, let us find you some assistance first. And I will say it again, as often as I must, but you are irreplaceable. No other could inspire me as you do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/post/615979930160922624/p5-au-week-day-2), where I also take requests.


	3. Day 3 - Palace!AU (Ren)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 I think has been one of my most anticipated days because (and this irony is not lost on me) three of the prompts are right up my alley. However, I decided to go with the one I’ve already done the most in: my beloved Palace!AU.
> 
> Again, as I’m gonna remind you daily, don’t forget to both check out @p5auweek for more AU fun but toss them a thanks too for organizing this!

It is around the fourth or fifth cargo car that tips you off that you are not making your way out of the Palace. No, instead you're being herded, like a wandering sheep, because as you move on you haven't been finding less cargo, but more. Not to mention you have not seen a single of your little markers that you left as part of your original mapping of the train, so you are clearly in new territory. It takes a long moment to realize, between trying not to panic due to being chased and attempting to figure a way to escape, but it does eventually hit you that the only uncharted territory left is the final stretch to the Treasure Room itself.

Despite your well-warranted state of frantic fear, you're almost curious still as to what his Treasure might be. Ren's shadow, or, equally accurately, his persona, joked once that _you_ were, but given that neither you nor Ren had confessed feelings for one another (a very large 'not yet' on your part, for certain) and that he'd only mentioned that after you tried to fight back against him in trying to buy yourself more time, you don't put much weight on that statement. Though Arsene does recognize you for who you are, as most Rulers have, he's only really used that to bait you and you'd bet that is what it was, an attempt to trip you up. Though, even without having real knowledge of what you might find, you've begun forming ideas; for Ren to consider small trinkets and gifts, like the silly ramen bowl he got with Ryuji, the enormous chocolate fountain with Ann, those adorable star stickers with Yusuke, and that signed movie poster with you, equally as precious as gold and jewelry says a great deal.

Whatever lies beyond that door when you reach it will hurt.

You don't have to wonder about how badly for much longer, however. You don't even notice at first, ready to keep running, until your brain processes what you see before you and you freeze mid-step. This is not the train you've been running through for hours now, no, this is Ren's room. You're so stunned you can't even find the strength to look behind you, can't even yell in surprise. Here you are, standing at the peak of the staircase, and before you is the tiny little attic you've come to find heart-warmingly familiar, full of your friends. Ann and Makoto sit on the couch, Morgana perched on the table that's been dragged out into the middle of the room; Ryuji's got a chair right in front of you, facing the window, and Yusuke has one of his own opposite the couch. New to the team is Futaba, crouched on a chair of her own closer to Ren's little workbench, still acclimating to such company.

D-did you get kicked out of the Metaverse? You can't really check without your phone, and you'd already lost the classification as a threat when your phone was destroyed, so no help there either. “Guys? Guys is that you?” you manage to stammer out, taking one tiny, cautious step further into the room. No one noticing you, _especially_ Futaba since she's facing you, is a little weird but at this point if you've made it out you will not question a single thing. Today has been far too long for questions.

And yet, the group continues their conversation which, now that you're taking the time to listen, you cannot make out at all. It sounds like Japanese, there's words here and there that sound familiar, but none of it makes any sense at all, and this is where the hammer strikes. You did not escape, neither from the Metaverse nor Arsene. _This_ is the Treasure Room, and though you cannot spot the Treasure itself, the scene before you is enough to make you not want to see it. More than anything it is you, the Phantom Thieves and his friends that he covets the most, enough that your cognitions are here, in the core of his heart.

Or, well, not your cognition, now that you've taken the time to process what's here. The others are, but there isn't even a spot where you would have been and this realization stings until you remember Arsene calling you Treasure. Oh. He wasn't joking, not exactly, now was he? You can feel the blood in your body drop to your feet as your fingers go cold and your stomach twists in knots. If coming here, and alone, was a bad idea in the first place, which it very much was and still is, this makes it a horrific one.

In a blind panic you turn on your heel and go to speed out, desperate to get away from this place now that you know what danger you have truly entrenched yourself in, only to slam directly into something, which quickly reveals itself as a body when a pair of hands catch your wrists. Startled, you try and pull yourself away but don't make it more than a single step back, merely far enough away that you have to face him once again.

Cruelty meets your eyes; Ren's face greets you, interrupted only by the sharp marigold gaze that has replaced his cool steel, but instead of wearing Ren's Joker outfit, it is his school uniform. Barring the eyes themselves, he's the very picture of the young man you waved goodbye to earlier today when you passed each other at the gate. Arsene cocks his head to the side slightly, sly smile gracing his mouth. “Leaving? So soon? You've only just arrived.”

You tug back, but though his grip on your wrists isn't bruising, it is too strong to break without a fight. “Please,” you beg softly, no longer scared, per se, but you don't like where this situation is going. It's not as simple as escape anymore. Your only answer is a quiet chuckle and you swallow thickly, trying to keep yourself composed. “At- at least tell me this, then? Was it me the whole time?”

“Only you?” Arsene asks before a gentle laugh. He releases your left wrist and gestures further into the room. Your gaze follows and you see something new, yourself, sitting comfortably at the edge of Ren's bed, elbows on your knees and happily chatting away with your friends. “While you have a different price to him, any of the others would have become the Treasure themselves had they been foolish enough to fall into my hands. A strange turn of events that you chose to come alone, one even I could not have foreseen, but enjoyable, nonetheless. Do not worry, however, now that you are here, back where you belong, I will see you well cared for, my dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/post/616056541542514688/p5-au-week-day-3), where I also take requests.


	4. Day 4 - Soulmate!AU, Mafia!AU (Ren)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late because I got a little down yesterday, but I didn’t want to pass up the idea I had. Today (or? yesterday? I suppose would be most appropriate) was a soulmate!AU day and I got a fun thought for combining that with a mafia!AU and so here we are~ I hope to have today’s proper prompt done later and then get back on track.
> 
> As always, go give thanks and check out @p5auweek!

Having a soulmate, on its own, is a strange trait. Most people are not gifted with such a fate, the idea of a person who fits perfectly into your life, and into whose life you fit equally wonderfully, is one still generally relegated to tales. These days, with the internet, most of the problems assorted with finding one's soulmate are eased for those who do have one; other than being wary of photoshopped pictures, it doesn't take much to show off your mark and find your match. Maybe it might take some work actually _getting_ to your soulmate after that, with the world as large as it is, but to know where they are, to be able to talk with them even only through text, is always a grand step forward.

However, having a soulmate is not always as lovely as the stories say. Not always romance, not always eternal happiness. What most people forget is that both of you are still human, and though you fit into each others lives as if made together, it does not dictate that no problems will spring up between you. Being drawn together is, sometimes, more of a curse than the blessing it is spoken as. Bad decisions can still be made to drive you apart, despite the aching pull, and different paths can be chosen in life to keep you there.

Which is exactly how you've found yourself dancing on the strings of such a tangled web.

“I'm surprised you still think you even have a ghost of a chance,” you sneer, rolling your eyes as you lean back into your chair before taking another sip of your cocktail. Not many places that you've been to play around much with amaretto in their drinks and this is certainly one of your favorites, though you confess that it has only been in the last few years you've started to go out much at all. “I thought you were playing along because you don't have anything better to do.”

The young man sitting across the small table from you laughs at your strike, but you do not miss the sharp edge of his smile, nor the way he narrows his eyes at you. Usually, you try to stay a little more gentle, given the nature of your relationship, but between the buzz settling in your head and how disgustingly confident he's been all night, you decided a solid blow would be worth the trouble later.

When he's done with his 'polite' laughter, Ren takes a sip of his own drink, placing it down on the table with a hint of extra force betraying his hidden anger. “You talk as if I've lost any more than you have, hm? But then, I don't have to lick boots for those victories, now do I?” he snipes back, leaning into the table with a proud grin watching your own fall. You _hate_ the insinuation, and he knows it. “Perhaps you should reconsider my offer; it might do you some good to learn how to play on the field.”

“Oh?” You arch an eyebrow, schooling your face back into a neutral mask with a small, casual smile. “Only if you'll let me record the lessons, as I've said before. You do remember how much I've told you my friends would love to hear them too, yes?” They aren't friends, and you both know this fact; not that he'd tell you in the first place. Though you're at an edge it isn't the one he's trying to pull you over, no more than he is where you want him to be.

Another quick chuckle, this one almost genuine given how old this joke is between you both. “I'd rather the judge and jury keep their grimy hands out of my business if you please, dear prosecutor. This is a special deal, for your lovely eyes only.” A honeyed warmth seeps into Ren's already charming voice, and though knowing damn well this creeps frighteningly close to one of the many lines you refuse to cross with him, it's tempting. “Even for a tiny place, there is a VIP room and I could get us some time to talk, no doubts.”

As if he isn't tempting on his own, nearly all the time you find yourself in his presence.

Honestly, even you recognize your behavior as infinitely stupid, and you steal a quick peek at the keystone to this whole circus. There, on Ren's left hand, is a mark you know intimately well, despite never getting particularly close enough to him to see it but once; it matches yours, sitting there at the base of your ring finger exactly the same as his. Soulmates. If it didn't cause you so much trouble you might have laughed when you found out the first time. You, who has eagerly worked toward a life of upholding justice and order, who has taken a job in defending the law, being tied to one of the wildest, darkest criminals in the underworld. It reads like something out of a shitty romance movie, where he'd atone for his crimes and they'd live happily ever after.

But no, nothing of the sort here. Though you did not know who he was at first, getting suckered in before even seeing proof of his mark, you are not blind. You are not a top prosecutor for nothing, but it left you with a dilemma. Yes, you know who and what Ren is, and he knows the same about you, but he is equally sharp, or, in an admission that makes you sick, perhaps even far more clever than you. You have no proof, either here in your civilian life or on your desk, that Ren is the mafia boss Joker. Oh, you do know, he seems to take great thrill in that fact, but nothing concrete, nothing that can be used.

You tell yourself that's why you bother with nights like these, 'accidentally' meeting at a theater, or at a bar like this, and allow yourself to spend time with him. It's all to try and trap him, you swear. Not that you think Ren tries for anything more. You'd take bets that his appearances, his tolerance of you, is a play time, that if anything he enjoys playing with the law quite intimately.

“I only take deals from gentlemen, thank you.” You take another sip of your drink, savoring it this time. While this is not the first time Ren has tried to drag you into the dark, something tells you that isn't at all the point of his suggestion tonight. “Only spend private time with them, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/post/616234903115333632/p5-au-week-day-4), where I also take requests.


	5. Day 5 - Crossover!AU: Animal Crossing (Ryuji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back on track and charging forward for fun and glory! Today is crossover day and I had the cutest thought for an Animal Crossing!AU while hanging out with friends and so I had to pull it out, especially given how hard New Horizons hit me, ahaha. Little short versus the last two days, but I’ve done a ton of writing today and I don’t want to get too much more behind, though if anyone likes this I might come back to this idea, for sure.
> 
> Once again, check out and thank @p5auweek both for more AU fun and for kicking off this whole event!

“Thanks again, Ryuji! Getting all those flowers planted around the island was super easy with your help!” you chime, beaming over at the blond as you start digging through the picnic basket. It was a simple chore, overall, but it's been ages since you've run across the whole island, much less carting around tons of flowers to transplant. Haru did such a wonderful job breeding them all, and everyone wanted that K.K. concert that you were working toward by beautifying the island. Thankfully, Ryuji was free to help today and so you decided that after a long day of work, a nice little meal here out near the beach was a good reward.

“Aww, don't worry about it. 'S nothing,” he replies, blushing and running his hand through his hair. The sight is so cute you can't help but giggle a little; Ryuji is always so eager to help, but when it comes to personal praise like this he's absolutely bashful.

All the same, adorable as he is, you don't want to embarrass Ryuji, and let the conversation drop, instead working on unpacking the basket. First come the plates, plastic ones that won't be hard to clean but won't risk breaking out here, and the utensils. Next is an array of sandwiches, packed neatly in a little box, placed on top so they didn't get squished, and then a bag of chips, always a fun side. Below those is a pasta salad and its dressing, separated so it didn't get soggy along the way, a pair of bottles of soda, and two jars used to store some chocolate pudding, a simple but tasty dessert.

While you start getting everything set out, you hand the pasta salad and the small container with it's dressing to Ryuji. “Would you mix these together? You can just pour the dressing in and then put the lid back on the bowl and shake it up; it's actually kinda fun, to be honest.”

“Hell yeah!” is his answer and you end up laughing with him again as you unwrap the sandwiches and lay them out on a napkin so you can each pick the ones you please. It's simple from here, opening the bag of chips, handing Ryuji a soda after he places down the bowl he'd just gotten to play with, and then each of you loading up your plates and tucking in.

You don't have a lot of meals like this, out in the fresh air and basking in the setting sun with someone you treasure, but boy, now that you're here you wonder why you haven't done this before. It's lovely, giggling and chatting with Ryuji over daily life here on the island, laughing at his story of Ren trying to keep up with him while exercising on the beach only to trip and fall into the sand, watching Ryuji forget to eat because he's so engrossed in your own tale of Yusuke and Futaba rolling into a week-long rivalry over trying to decide on how best to lay out the pathways that now crisscross the landscape.

Despite the fact it does not, time feels like it's stopped for most of the picnic; one second the sun is still up and you've just gotten the blanket laid out, and the next the sun's nearly disappeared and you've reached the bottom of your little jar. You let out a quiet, almost disappointed sigh as you place it down on your plate. You really don't want this to end, even if you're exhausted from such a long and busy day.

“Thanks for the food, by the way,” Ryuji says gently while granting you a heart-warmingly soft smile. “It was really good, but then you've always been a great cook, haven't ya?”

Now it's your turn to blush. “Come on, it wasn't anything special,” you mutter, twirling a lock of hair through your fingers. “Only what? A couple sandwiches and a salad. Besides, you deserved to not have to worry about dinner after working so hard with me today. You saved me a lot of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/616247362267086848/p5-au-week-day-5), where I also take requests.


	6. Day 6 - Fae!AU (Akechi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one a little late, after a long day yesterday. Day 6 was an odd day for me, since I didn’t really get any inspiration for any of the prompts, so instead I pulled a prompt from an earlier day, turning the fantasy!AU prompt out into one of my new favorites: the fae!AU. I was gonna do something a little closer to the piece I put out earlier, due to how much I love it, but while playing The Royal, a certain corvid has been stealing my muse.
> 
> So, while not containing story or plot spoilers for P5R, I will warn that I did pull from how Akechi behaves both in the endgame of normal P5 but also some of how he behaves in the endgame of P5R. You might not even call them spoilers, technically, because of that but I want to be safe instead of sorry.
> 
> And, as always, please go visit and thank @p5auweek!

You close your eyes and take a deep breath, filling your lungs with as much of the stale cavern air as they can hold. It does nothing to still your nerves; your body still feels as though you stand in the path of a lightning strike and you've chosen to remain there, awaiting destruction. In a way you have, now haven't you? You are no fool, you know better. Knew better than to come here in the first place, knew better to ask for 'help' from the treacherous man you know remains in front of you.

And yet, here you are.

“Scared, hm? After all that, I guess you weren't as brave as you sounded.” Speak of the devil. As you open your eyes to meet his dark carnelian ones, you cannot help but grit your teeth in anger. He doesn't look a day older than yourself, though you know he's older than this very mountain he's trapped inside, and the trick makes it very easy to forget to maintain your temperament, especially when he takes the time to rile you up. You blame that damn expression of his, watching you as if he's won already, sitting there _gloating_ at you. Disgusting.

You school yourself back into line to the best of your ability, crossing your arms in front of you. Truthfully, he won the very instant you tracked him down, the moment you resolved to come here, but you have no intention of letting him play with that knowledge. “Hardly,” you say with a huff. “I am merely ensuring I properly think through your proposition, _Crow_.”

Given the way you see his jaw clench and eyes narrow, maybe using the 'name' granted to him upon his punishment wasn't a wise move. Ah well, too late now, you've poked the beast.

He laughs at you after a second collecting himself, voice taking on a dark echo that causes goosebumps to break out across your skin. Finally, after this whole conversation, he chooses to stand and leisurely walks to the edges of the dais upon which he's bound. Even knowing there is nothing he can do at the moment to leave it, and due to that fact he cannot harm you, his body language _screams_ predation and it takes all of your willpower to not move an inch. “'Hardly' scared, even knowing who you've come to beg help from?” There's only a few feet now that separates you both, and you can feel the veil of magic that protects you wavering from his aura. “It's been millennia since I've encountered such a grand liar.”

A shiver shoots down your spine as your hands ball into fists. He is absolutely correct, loathe as you are to admit it. In your complete desperation, blinding rage and thirst for revenge, you've made your way here to find perhaps one of the most dangerous beings in this or any other world. If the fae, on their own, are capable of terrifying behavior, than this 'young man' before you, whom _the fae themselves_ decided was threatening enough to bind and try to keep away from the world, whom is strong enough that he had to be shackled instead of killed, is a horror unto himself. Of course you're scared; you are beyond _scared_ , but the hated sitting in your heart has blackened your own soul, and you can not think of a more fitting end to your story.

Besides, what is there to think about? The deal offered is simple: if you want to see revenge, to make that bastard, this whole fucking country that let this happen, suffer and beg for forgiveness that will not be granted, then you will give yourself up and free the monster standing before you. Your life is forfeit, perhaps even worse than the ones you've asked him to take. They will eventually find death, however you will not, well, not until you grow boring and are thrown aside. “From what the stories say, you are quite a strong liar yourself. Perhaps I simply want to make sure you aren't trying to pull the wool over my eyes?”

“If you don't trust me, then why bother crawling here to try making a deal?” he sneers. There's something in the way he looks down at you that finally causes your bravado to crack. A shadow appears to have taken over his face, more than from his brown hair falling into it, one deeper, as if cast by the darkness of his own heart, and now that you've noticed it you cannot help but take a glancing step back. You wonder for an instant if, perhaps, he is not a fae at all but a demon, though the reminder that you've allowed yourself to fall far enough to ask to work with him reminds you that if he is a demon, then you might also be one too. “Drag yourself home, you pathetic child. Go back to your cage and let yourself be used exactly as your parents were.”

“Shut up!” you hiss in pure rage, taking a bold step forward, insanely close to the edge of the dais. A foolish move, and you've let him goad you into dangerous territory, but to hear him use your life against you is too much for the moment. It aches, to think of how you watched both of the two strongest people in your life burn out before your eyes, to watch them be playthings before a court of nobles until there was nothing left of either and you were left alone. The insinuation that you should suffer the same fate nearly drives you to madness. “As if you'd dare chase me away, you chained dog; I might be the only person able to free you that is _willing_ to even consider it, so watch your tongue!”

A sinister chuckle is your immediate answer, and there is no mistaking the intent in his cruel grin. Where you might have come to your senses in your fear, you've lost sight of it now. You both know you've chosen the path of a great mistake and you have no willingness to turn back anymore. “As if you'd turn your back on me,” is his reply, voice eerily calm and composed. A slender, pale hand reaches toward you, coming right to the edge of his boundaries, palm up. “Then, if we're stuck with each other, do we have a deal?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/post/616393086035230720/p5-au-week-day-6), where I also take requests.


	7. Day 7 - Vampkira!AU (Ren)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, here we are folks. Honestly I’m surprised myself, I didn’t actually think I could do it, write for a whole week (not that I did? technically? two of the days were doubles) after so long. But I’ve had a lot of fun, and it’s been great both writing myself and seeing my friends playing with AUs too. Today is, as far as the official choice goes, supernatural/paranormal hunter!AU, which means the starting ember of this whole blog: Vampkira!AU.
> 
> Remember to go check out and thank @p5auweek for this event, and if I may ask, go check out some pals: @akirakurusuimagines and @classywritings! They’ve both written some fantastic stuff this week, and you should go take a read!

Sitting next to you like this, barely a week since your last encounter where you cracked one of his ribs and came millimeters away from shooting him in the head, is a very bizarre experience for Ren. The memory of you from that night still burns bright, and to see you now, wilting before him as you confess your own history of sins in trying to work out why he hasn't tried to kill you, nearly makes him wonder if this 'you' is a different person entirely. Ren knows very well you are not, that there are many pieces to a person, he simply did not expect you to be such a puzzle.

Honestly, he still can't believe his barbed question worked, that asking you why your righteousness didn't extend to him would strike you so deeply. Ren was certain he was going to die that night, and it was an attempt at one last blow. Still, he remembers the broken expression that blinked across your face for an instant, the way you began to tremble. It's almost _funny_ how much that hurt him to see at the time, even after the fight you two had; Ren likes you, still thinks you're interesting, especially for a Hunter, and despite being shocked at the whiplash the fight caused, there is something in him that aches when recalling your reaction. Maybe it's because you aren't always that honest with your feelings, always badgering him away when you seem to enjoy his company, and seeing your heart displayed for even a moment felt precious; maybe it's because you listened to him, taking his question seriously even when he didn't mean it, and giving him a chance where the two of you might get to work things out, a chance he has not gotten often in his unusually long life.

Though, Ren can very easily confess to himself he didn't understand your question until now. He didn't realize that you came from a background of crime, did not know that you thought he already figured it out and that is the reason you asked why he hadn't targeted you. Truthfully, it's easier to go after criminals who show off or make it easy to catch themselves, even though he sticks to more ruthless criminals, versus little ones like petty thieves that can get caught by police quite simply. And besides, who would have expected you to be a criminal at any point in your life? You're always so resolute when it comes to doing what you think is right, but it seems that trait stems from being gifted your own second chance.

Speaking of second chances, perhaps you have a valid point. Maybe you weren't the only one who needed to change their approach tonight.

“I really didn't know,” Ren murmurs, taking a small peek back over at you. Hidden away on a rooftop like this, unseen by the whole city, you looks so small leaning against the wall behind you as you sit, shoulders bent with the weight of your own memories. It's strange, even at your weakest before this, you always came off so strongly and now it is impossible to not see you as the child you told him about: left by the wayside and tricked into a life of cruelty, only to realize she had become a monster herself. “I've never thought to check into your background. I don't do that.”

“Well, you know now. So what'll it be?” is your grim reply. You turn your head to look at him then, and there is a darkness in your expression that causes his eyes to widen in shock. There is no mistake, you expect him to turn on you; the stern resignation you exude makes that exceedingly apparent.

Do you really think that low of him? The thought burns for a second, until Ren puts it out, trying his best to see things from your view and thinking about how he can make you see from his. You've been harmed before, let down and betrayed, and he knows that feeling quite intimately. Plus, what is the point of coming this far in a conversation to try and work towards a better ending than enemies only to throw it away now? “I'll have to do some thinking of my own, it seems. You've taught me some things tonight I need to learn,” he muses, watching with a spark of amusement how your mood shifts, clearly stunned at his choice. Ren softens his voice here, not wanting to scare you off now that you're on uncertain emotional ground, “I wouldn't mind learning more from you, if you'll let me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my practice blog: [Dragon's Inkwell](http://www.dragonsinkwell.tumblr.com/616424500075102208/p5-au-week-day-7), where I also take requests.


End file.
